Dean Martin - Dino: The Essential Dean Martin

The revisionist take on the Rat Pack's razor-witted King of Cool reveals a Dean Martin who was considerably more complex than the Titan of Tipplers legend; a man who would just as soon retire to his room with a tumbler of milk to watch a TV Western than prowl the Strip with his famous cohorts. That sublime, preternatural indifference is both underscored and belied with dizzying regularity on this good 30-track overview of Martin's singing career. The breezy hits "That's Amore" and "Volare" underscored his public staying power when many counted him out in the face of a surging 1950s youth market. He repeated the feat again with trademark effortlessness a decade later to knock no less than the Beatles off the top of the charts with the unlikely, if inviting schmaltz of "Everybody Loves Somebody." Ever informed by his warm, deceptive vocal ease, Martin's rich signature tunes are well-represented here. But the collection also spans enough lovable kitsch ("Mambo Italiano," "Little Old Wine Drinker Me") and unabashed romantic yearning ("Innamorata," "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On") to deepen the compelling mystery of one of pop music's most enduring ciphers. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

No Luck

I have no luck when buying this CD album. The first one I ordered from Amazon skipped on the last five tracks. Amazon replaced it, only this one dosen't even load in my JVC Rack System's CD cassette player. I tried switching the cassette trays and even switched the cassettes. No luck, it played in my computer though... where I found new skips.

I ran into this problem before with a Stones; Hot Rocks 1954-1971 CD. Unfortunately, it was a xmass present and I didn't play it for a long while, before I realized that it wouldn't load into my CD player. It was too late to take it back. That was my mistake for waiting so long. Now I check all CDs and DVDs as soon as they come. I've decided not to try another. Too bad, it was a good album.
August 25, 2008

That's Amore

What can I say about this album - about the vocal styling, song selection, and whatnot. I mean, it's Dean Martin. Really, what could I say?

What I do have to say is that from the very first note I was immediately transported back to 1979, my Grandparents kitchen in the Bronx. The smell of sauce hanging in the air and gentle warble of Dean's voice wafting out through the radio.

Some days I wish I could go back to that tiny kitchen. Tonight, listening to this album, I did.

Five Stars August 20, 2008

How could it not be five stars, given the length and price?

Thirty songs, most of them pop hits, and a price well below what might be expected, along with an interesting booklet and well-mastered tracks is what you get here. If you like Dean, but don't have these songs already, what are you waiting for? June 4, 2008

If you love Dino, buy this

This album has all the old favorites - I first heard it in my favorite Italian restaurant and had to have it. My dad had all these songs and I grew up listening to them. April 28, 2008

Volare! Dean Martin tonight !!!

Dino: The Essential Dean Martin has thirty wonderful songs by Dean Martin on a single CD. Although I can't call any thirty songs a complete collection of Dean Martin's "essential" hits, this single CD does do a fairly good job at this. The sound quality couldn't be better and the artwork is very good--perhaps with the sole exception of that hard to read song list on the reverse of the artwork.

"Ain't That A Kick In The Head" gives us Dean at his very best--from his days at Capitol, if I recall correctly. Dean croons this marvelously and he never sings a superfluous note! Dean's voice is quite strong and his excellent diction bolsters his performance very well. "That's Amore" was always a huge Dean Martin hit that he made all his own with his excellent timing; Dean sang this with all his heart and his passionate rendition makes this THE definitive rendition of this love song. "Just In Time" gets a slightly happier arrangement than I'm used to--but then again, after all, this IS a happy song! The brass works very well and Dean sings this better than anyone could!

"Volare" is another major Dean Martin hit; the music that accompanies Dean fits perfectly and the harp is used to great advantage. "Mambo Italiano" is a number I associate with Rosemary Clooney but Dean Martin makes it his own as he plays with the tempo and a key change or two--it's stunning! "Mambo Italiano" always was one of my very favorite classic pop hits.

"Standing On The Corner" is a song many men can relate to--Dean's standing on a street corner watching pretty young ladies walk by; and there's also "You Belong To Me." "You Belong To Me" is a passionate love song that tugs at my heartstrings with its natural passion and heartfelt affection for his lover. "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" certainly gets a fine treatment from Dean as he sways, swings and croons his way through this classic love tune; "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" is easily a major highlight of this album.

"Send Me The Pillow You Dream On" has Dean singing so well with a lush arrangement and a chorus that harmonizes very well. The arrangement may be a little bit much but make no mistake about it--this is STILL Dean Martin's song. "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" is one of the most beautiful love songs I've heard--ever. I particularly enjoy this tune when Dean Martin sings it--he aces this number easily and it's a gemstone in his capable hands.

"Somewhere There's A Someone" shines when Dean Martin delivers this masterfully; and the album closes so nicely with Dean Martin performing "Gentle On My Mind." "Gentle On My Mind" is an excellent cover and Dean delivers this like the incredibly talented singer he always was.

Sure, there may be other songs that should be considered part of the "essential" Dean Martin collection; and so I cannot give this CD a full five star review. I guess I would give this four and 1/2 stars. It is quite a strong album; and Dean Martin fans will enjoy it. People who appreciate classic pop vocals should be running to buy this album!
April 13, 2008

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